“LUTHER/LUTHERANISM”

So, what’s it all about? Who is this person, Martin Luther? Why did he create a denomination named “Lutheran?”

Of course, it all began with Martin Luther, because of fear, arising from a thunderstorm in which a tree nearby was struck by lightning. He vowed to enter the monastery rather than continue his legal studies.

After several years of study and travel, he still considered himself a sinner unworthy of repentance. He attempted to do all that the church at that time suggested and required. However, it never assuaged his guilt of being a sinner. Eventually, the studies of scripture eventually warmed his heart, especially when he absorbed, both intellectually and spiritually, that we are justified in God’s eyes by faith through grace.

The doctrine of “justified by faith through grace” became the foundation for Luther’s, and for Lutherans,, understanding of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. All of our understanding of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is seen through that perspective.

Because of his new understanding, he found himself in conflict with the church authority of his time. At that time there were indulgences. These were actions or purchases that the church authorities said took away your sinfulness and your life in purgatory after death. Because of this conflict, he principally addressed this issue when he nailed his 95 belief positions on the front door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. He did this on October 31, 1517, the evening before All Saints Day. He knew the cathedral would be filled with people the next day because of this festival commemoration, so it would get wide attention.

It got wider attention than that. The Gutenberg Press was just invented. Of course, documents could be prepared much faster once the press was set. Within several months, all of Europe became aware of this document and Luther’s challenge of church authority.

Out of the basic doctrine of “justification by faith through grace” came a different understanding of how we relate to God, through Jesus Christ. It affected the sacraments, which Luther reduced from seven to two. It changed the way people worshipped. Luther translated a Bible into a common German language so that all people could read scripture. (Before this, it was only translated into Latin.) Hymns with secular music became part of the worship service. A new understanding of personal confession was presented. A different understanding of the presence of Christ in The Lord’s Supper was offered. Baptism was not just an event, but a way of life. Marriage was believed to be a rite of the secular world. In the church, the holy relationship was to be blessed. Ordained priests were permitted to marry. Convents and monasteries, while not shunned, were not identified as a means to a better way of life.

In Luther’s understanding of this divine relationship, there was no separation between our worldly/secular life and our Christian/spiritual life. Yet, we are in the world, not of the world. There were two reasons for the law. First was so that we might lead an orderly secular life. The second was to help us recognize our sinfulness which would drive us to the cross. Luther stated that we cannot recognize God’s grace unless we recognize our true sinfulness. Furthermore, we cannot recognize our true sinfulness unless we can recognize God’s grace. They go hand-in-hand.

Luther’s theology helped to form a basic understanding of what is called, “Being a theologian of the cross.” Simply stated, God’s love for humanity, while evidenced in all of creation, becomes a reality at the cross. God’s love and grace are seen in our experience of human suffering. What is known to be good in the world is evil in the eyes of God. What is evil in the eyes of the world is known to be good with God. Luther was saying that “what is, is what it is.” In other words, we accept life on life’s terms.

What is interesting about Luther is that he never wanted to break from the institutional church of his time. What he wanted was reform. That is why we call what happened as “The Reformation.” Luther was defrocked by the institutional church of his time and labeled a heretic.

Luther would like nothing better than to see us all become “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” We celebrate and reflect upon that possibility each year on the Sunday before October 31. This year Reformation Sunday and the Day of Reformation are the same.

“LIVING UNDER THE CROSS”

There are many ways we can approach scripture. If you are of the Jewish heritage, you would approach scripture reading only the Hebrew Testament. Then, you might fall into one of several categories, Orthodox, Conservative, or Liberal. Each of those would approach scripture a different way.

It is no different with Christianity. There are numerous denominations. Each one has its own “spin” on how we live out our lives as believers and/or disciples of Jesus Christ. The article on this blog would be extensive if I attempted to categorize them all. That is not my purpose.

What I want for us to consider is a Lutheran approach. The approach I’m talking about takes scripture as a whole and looks upon the writings as the story of God interacting with humanity from its beginning, represented by Adam and Eve and moving forward in history – namely, space and time – to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. When we look through that lens, we might find ourselves discovering the intense love of God toward humanity throughout all of scripture, with the intensity reaching a crescendo at Golgatha where Jesus hung from a cross. It is there where we meet God and God’s love. It is there we come to witness the power of God as God uses death to overcome death. It is there where we see humanity, represented by Jesus, humble itself and open itself totally to the power of God and God’s power of love that gives new life.

All of Biblical history comes to an apex at that cross and then carries us through to the empty tomb.

If we believe that approach, then it is at the cross we must go. It is there we realize that we are powerless over the world. It is there where we meet the face of sin. It is there where we get a of glimpse of Jesus’ love for us and what it means to be his disciple.

No one wants suffering. No one looks for suffering. Yet, it seems that through suffering, we find God. Through suffering, we find Jesus. Through suffering, we begin to understand Jesus’ call to us and the way of the cross.

When we approach scripture as described above, we hear several significant comments of Jesus that all connect to one another: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. 2) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 3) Lose your life for my sake and you will find it. 4) Pick up your cross and follow me. 5) Die to self so that you might live. 6) Love one another as I have loved you.

It is only in suffering that we are able to follow Jesus’ instructions. The initial basis for suffering has to do with “picking up our own cross and following Jesus.” It seems to me a basic component of experiencing this is to be open to the Spirit and to be willing to lose one’s ego for Christ’s sake. To do so is not painless. To begin to do so begins a process of experiencing one’s own sin as character defects and personal shortcomings. To do so is to begin to see the world through the eyes of Jesus and see the world’s approach to life that is counter to Jesus’ call to discipleship. To do so is to identify and acknowledge “the other.” We recognize the marginalized, the outcast, the scapegoat, and sinners like us, those who have no one to speak for them.

“Losing one’s self” and/or “dying to self” is not meant for us to be door mat, used, or manipulated. Losing and dying help us to reach a higher level of self-differentiation that brings to us an understanding of who we are and Whose we are. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we develop, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, a more personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

It is in this dying and losing, and it is in the cross-carrying, that we are able to begin to experience loving others as Christ has loved us.

“FAITH AND CONTEXT”

Karl Barth was a predominant theologian of the early and mid-twentieth century. He opened wide the doors for new thinking as we consider the concept of God and our relationship with him. One of his notions was that in order to respond to God’s word in this world of ours, we must hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. The application of our faith comes within the context of where, how, and what our living situation is all about.

When we read scripture, we can understand why Karl Barth said that. Just follow Jesus. His faith in God was unquestioned. However, Jesus’ faith was not demonstrated by high theological concepts, but how he lived his life during his ministry on this earth. He lived among the people. He taught among the people. His parable and responses to comments by those with whom he conversed were filled with the experiences such people faced during the time Jesus was there.

So, I grabbed today’s paper and I am listing below some of the topics, locally and nationally, that are addressed today. The question is, as followers of Jesus, how would we respond to these issues using our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, as a catalyst for response?

Public Building Authority – Johnson City has a Public Building Authority (PBA) that has come under scrutiny lately because of potential land swap deals. The PBA controls the use of Millennium Centre. The Centre has experienced deficits in the past. It has land within its acreage that could be sold to offset the deficit. According to the article, the PBA faces a murky future. So, where is God in all this? Is this something we need to consider as followers of Christ? Is there a stewardship issue here that Christians need to take into consideration? Is the PBA a functioning organization that brings responsible leadership to the community that brings with it appropriate accountability?

A Muslim Center - The Johnson City Press’ front page story’s headline is “Good Neighbors.” The article presents the issue of a mosque built in 2008 for Muslim worshippers. While it talks about the success of open-minded people here in Johnson City, it is a referral to the difficulties in Murfreesboro as Muslims attempt to build a center there. Of course, the heated issue nationally is the Muslin center that is proposed to be built near Ground Zero where the World Trade Towers were destroyed. What would Jesus’ position be? First of all, scripture says that he came to minister to the lost people of Israel. He did realize that his ministry was also to the Gentiles, as suggested by his encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman. In scripture we see that Jesus is compassionate to all people, except for those who are self-righteous. Two of Jesus’ basic tenets were that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Jesus also said that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. However, are we demonstrating these principles to those who have been affected by the destruction of the towers by permitting the Muslim center to be built? Furthermore, what is our understanding of freedom of religion under the constitution? Where is God in all this, and are our thoughts and feelings in sync with Jesus call to discipleship?

BP Corporate Image – In the business section of the Johnson City Press, an article reports that the BP image is recovering from the oil spill, but it is still low. Again, where is God in all this? What do we think about it and where do we “land” with our thoughts and feelings. Is there a need for forgiveness and reconciliation to a corporate entity? Has there been a demonstration of repentance by the corporation, if such is required? We all realize that a major issue of the oil spill is the damage to the ecology and creation, which God has given to us to protect and of which we are called to be stewards. Is the corporation, along with the issue of the environment, so big that we cannot wrap ourselves around it and so all we can do is ignore it? Or, do we show continued disapproval by boycotting those places where we know BP products are sold?

These are just three issues that were presented in the Johnson City Press on August 19, 2010. What is our responsibility as Christians? What does God call us to think about, feel, and to do? This is what Karl Barth was talking about. This is what we are about as Christians. While in many situations, we are either helpless or it is beyond our capability to be responsive, we can discuss, consider, and pray about the issues of everyday life that affect us and our neighbor.

“CHANGE”

Who likes change? Change is dreaded by many people. There’s the familiar comment, “How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?” The answer is: three. There is one to change the light bulb and two with shotguns to make sure there are no other changes.

However, we all experience change. It’s part of life. The seasons change. We’re all used to that. If we have children, they change. If we have spouses, they change. We can make a long list of the changes that occur all the time.

Yet, many of us don’t like change. So what does that have to do with our faith? What does change have to do with our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ?

There are two realities that we acknowledge. They are opposed to one another. We recognize that Jesus accepts us just the way we are. Yet, Jesus, out of love, desires to transform us. Spiritually this begins at baptism when, through the waters of baptism, we die a death like Christ and are raised to a new life in Christ. We are transformed because, through baptism, it is no longer we who live, but it is Christ who lives within us. Now, that is change at the highest level. It is a spiritual change. However, we are still human. When we are baptized we still have what is called the ego. We still have our human frailties and human imperfections. Although, spiritually we may desire to be transformed with the power of Christ within us, our humanness wants to remain the way we are. Our humanness knows what we can expect when we are in control of our lives. We don’t know what to expect otherwise.

Let’s look at another concept. One of Jesus’ imperatives is to “repent.” It comes from the Greek word, “metanoia.” That Greek word is a combination of “after” and “think.” Combining the two words into the word “metanoia,” means that we think differently.

Another way to look at it is that Jesus calls us to change our way of thinking about ninety degrees. Three of Jesus’ imperatives are very powerful for this way of changing. He says that we need to die in order to live. We need to pick up our cross and follow him. We need to lose our life for the sake of the gospel and for his sake. Those are transformational challenges that are virtually impossible to do without the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us.

What Jesus is asking us to do is to think and focus on him, not on us. Jesus is asking us to realize that life is about God, not about us. Jesus is asking us to think outward rather than inward on ourselves. That’s what is involved in living the Christian life. That is what is involved when we commit ourselves to discipleship.

Now that’s change.

LAW AND GOSPEL

Speaking of “buzz words,” one of the most well known among Lutherans is the term “Law and Gospel.” Our interpretation of scripture always includes this foundational concept. When Lutherans read scripture, we are reminded to look for both the law and the gospel in the text we are reading.

One of the basic understandings of this concept is that the law convicts us of our mortality and our brokenness. It is with that understanding that we are driven to the cross. The gospel reveals the love of God for us and our redemption through Jesus Christ, because of the cross and the resurrection.

When we think about the term “law,” we usually connect it with the Old, or Hebrew, Testament. When we think about the term “gospel,” we usually connect it with the New, or Christian, Testament. However, the law can be found throughout the entire Bible. The gospel can also be found throughout all of scripture.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. When God removed from the Garden of Eden, we appropriately recognize law for the consequences of their actions. However, we don’t often “hear” the gospel when God clothed them. The same goes for their son, Cain, when God placed a mark on him so that no one would kill him. David lost the son born of Bathsheba because of his adultery. Furthermore, civil war erupted in the years following. Yet, from that relationship, Solomon was born and became the most powerful king in the history of Israel.

All of the gospels spent much of their time telling the story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection. It is the story of the gospel, or good news of the victory of Jesus. Yet, read the Sermon on the Mount and find the new laws that Jesus was prescribing as he redefined them, making some more flexible and others more strict. Remember the story of the rich man? Remember how he could not sell all that he had and follow Jesus? This is another example of the law within the gospel.

We need both law and gospel. We always need to be reminded of who we are and whose we are. We need to be reminded that we are broken, sinful, and imperfect with shortcomings and character defects.

It is through the law and the gospel that we have a deeper understanding of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

I CONFESS

Somewhere I have read or heard that, “Confession is good for the soul.” While it probably isn’t scriptural, it certainly is good theology. I have included in my “book” of sayings, “We are as sick as our secrets.” I don’t know about anyone else, but it is certainly true for me. It has also been obvious when I have listened to other people’s stories.

I believe confession is necessary to clean the soul of spiritually toxic material that can impair the abundant life that Christ wishes us to live. In Lutheran worship, we have a general confession that assists us as we prepare for worship. It is a reminder that we are sinful, we are in bondage to sin, and that we humbly come before our God, through Jesus Christ, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. It may also remind us that we are saint and sinner at the same time. This confession is also part of other denominations’ liturgies. However, in some denominations, it is believed that once we are saved we are always saved and there is no need for additional confession.

Martin Luther had this to say about confession. He asked, What is confession? His response was, Confession embraces two parts: the one is, that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no wise doubt, but firmly believe, that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven. And, he also asked, What sins should we confess? Again, he responded, Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those which we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess those sins alone which we know and feel in our hearts.” Luther believed that there was a need for us to use a individual confessor to cleanse our souls of those character defects and shortcomings that affected our relationship with God. In the 12-Step programs, there is also a belief in this need to confess. Steps 4 and 5 reflect this belief and need for action: STEP 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. STEP 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Dietrich Bonhoffer talked about this subject in his book, Life Together, where he discussed life in the community of faith. Sin that has been spoken and confessed has lost all of its power. It has been revealed and judged as sin. It can no longer tear apart the community. Now the community bears the sin of the individual believer, who is no longer alone with this evil but has “cast off” this sin by confessing it and handing it over to God. The sinner has been relieved of sin’s burden. Now the sinner stands in the community of sinners who live by grace of God in the cross of Jesus Christ. Now one is allowed to be a sinner and still enjoy the grace of God. We can admit our sins and in this very act find community for the first time. The hidden sins separated the sinner from the community and made the sinner’s apparent community all a sham. The sins that were acknowledged helped the sinner to find true community with other believers in Jesus Christ. Bonhoffer goes on to say, A confession of sin in the presence of all the members of the congregation is not required to restore one to community with the entire congregation. In the one other Christian to whom I confess my sins and by whom my sins are declared forgiven, I meet the whole congregation.

So, what is sin? Of course we have the Ten Commandments. They outline the basic relationship we have with God and with one another. If any of those are damaged, then we sin. However, those enumerated commandments may be too specific. Martin Luther also said that the basic sin is that of self-centeredness. In other words, we never get past the first commandment. Scholars who have studied the Gospel of John have indicated that the author of John might have been indicating that sin, according to that gospel, is not to have faith and trust in Jesus. Other theologians have suggested that sin is anything that keeps us from having a healthy relationship with another.

One reason we do not attempt to bring another person into our life through confession is because of the deep confidentiality of our comments. We just don’t share our private thoughts and past actions with just anyone. This lack of trust also includes pastors/ministers/priests. This is understandable. A real blessing is to identify someone within the community of faith who can be trusted, with whom you can share personal concerns, and you know will keep such conversations fully confidential.

The words of Luther, Bonhoffer, and others give us much to think about. However we treat sin, however we deal with it, we need to consider that sin can be toxic in nature and destroy relationships. However, as Jesus reminded us, to indentify sin, we begin with ourselves.

LIVING LIFE ON LIFE’S TERMS

Do you feel helpless at times with everything that is happening in the world and in this country? Do you sometimes think that all “is going to the dogs?” Do you wonder what’s going to happen to your life, the lives of your children, and/or the lives of your grandchildren? I do. These are not happy, joyous and free times.

Personally, I get angry when I think about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I don’t think anyone knows exactly how much oil has spilled into the waters. It has to be millions of gallons. I see the wild life – birds, turtles, dolphins, fish, and other creatures of God whose lives are being threatened, whose species is being potentially exterminated, by this man-made disaster. I hear of entire industries that are being disastrously affected, so much so that such industries may never come back. And then I think that those leading the fight to correct the situation represent one of the largest, wealthiest world corporations and the most powerful government this world has ever known, and neither one can bring the situation under control until the damage is even more severe. What’s happening? The ultimate results are fearful.

Personally, our retirement funds are extremely dependent on the vagaries of the stock market. Although our retirement fund is not large, its potential erosion could decimate our simple style of living. Yes, much of the value has returned. Yet, the roller coaster ride of the stock markets certainly makes us nervous. It sometimes makes me fearful.

Then there is the economy. We are not affected greatly by it, but there are many I know who are. They are happy just to have employment. They are even happier if their employment includes health benefits. Anyone looking for employment knows that there are a multitude of people, along with them, who have applied for a position. If it wasn’t necessary before, it is necessary now that both parents work. Homes are being foreclosed. Automobiles are being repossessed. In Southern Washington County, around the Jonesborough area, 20% of the children live below the sustainable living line. Many of these children are hungry during the summer because school is not in session. We are fearful for the next generation of children.

In the middle of all this, where is the church? Some denominations are facing severe issues that affect relationships with parishioners. Others have theological issues that drive a wedge into unity. Then there are well known leaders who have betrayed those who follow them. Many of the populace challenge church authority. Many have become disenchanted with religious organizations and the worship services they provide. Where does one go at times of helplessness and fear?

I am sure there are many more examples I could list. I haven’t even mentioned that this country is fighting two wars. I haven’t discussed the everyday vagaries, or powers, of this world: disease, illness, and relational difficulties. Fear can rule our hearts, and there are those who would take advantage of this in many ways.

Where is God in all this?

It’s a good question. I don’t have a complete answer. I know this, I just can’t face people and say, “Just believe in God and everything will be okay.” That’s not an adequate answer.

Reading scripture, whether it is the gospels or the letters of Paul, Peter, and John, I find no easy answer, either. I could quote various passages, but they are difficult to hear when one is struggling. I do know from scripture that “faith drives out fear.” Our faith in the Triune God, Father Son, and Holy Spirit, gives us something to hang on to. After all, if life is about God and not about me, then I begin to realize that God is in charge, not me.

I have also asked myself under difficult circumstances, “What is the worst thing that could happen?” If the answer has to do with what I want versus what I need, I begin to see the problem. Whether God “knows better” or whether God will see me through whatever predicament I am experiencing, I need to have faith that this is God’s world and that he loves me. With this as my anchor, fear can be driven out, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, it is an issue of trust in God. My responsibility is to live the day that God has given me, seeking knowledge of his will for me and the power to carry it out.

As we face life on life’s terms, I believe the blessings of Christ creating the church, the body of Christ, can be experienced. When we are physically alone, it is not difficult to imagine or believe that we are also spiritually alone. Through fellowship and sharing, we find that God’s love comes to us through other people. We don’t even need to share our specific concerns. The love of God demonstrated by others can strengthen us on our human journey.

We are also called to share our love with others. We are called to be in fellowship with others, not for our benefit, but to sacrificially serve others in need. When we do this, being reminded that Christ lives within us; we have an opportunity to see what God sees. We have the opportunity to use our “hands” for God’s work.

Living life on life’s terms is simple, but it is not easy.